[Japanese Folk and Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Masterpieces from Across Japan, Brimming with Local Pride
From north to south, the traditional singing voices passed down across Japan are treasures of each region.
Perhaps you, too, have a memorable song that your grandparents or parents sang to you when you were a child—or one you sang together.
Folk songs, woven with the lives, cultures, and sentiments of their native places, have been sung across generations.
In this article, we introduce a selection of Japanese folk songs that resonate with the heart.
As you listen to the nostalgic melodies of hometowns, let us touch the spirit and landscape of Japan.
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- Folk songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular tunes everyone can enjoy
- Soran Bushi: Compare renditions of this classic folk song by various artists!
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully selected timeless masterpieces loved across generations!
- [Folk and Children's Songs of Hokkaido] Songs of Hokkaido that continue to be loved across generations
- Folk songs, children’s songs, and nursery rhymes of Osaka: the enduring spirit of our hometown carried on in song
- [2026] The Heart of Our Hometowns Carried Through Song: A Roundup of Japanese Folk Singers, Including Young Talents!
- Folksongs, children's songs, and nursery rhymes of Fukushima: the heart of our hometown passed down in song
- Folk Songs of the World | Hometown Songs Passed Down Abroad
- The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
- Beautiful Folk Songs Passed Down in Miyagi Prefecture: A Collection of Masterpieces that Play the Heart of the Hometown
[Japanese Folk Songs / Regional Songs] A Collection of Beloved Classics from Around Japan (21–30)
Oedo NihonbashiFORESTA
Oedo Nihonbashi is a folk song from Nihonbashi, Tokyo, with unknown composer and lyricist.
It weaves in the post station names of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, presenting in succession the place names and famous spots along the Tokaido journey spanning 124 ri and 8 cho—about 500 km—from Nihonbashi in Tokyo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto.
Kiryu YagibushiKiryu Yagibushi Renraku Kyogikai Senbatsu Chimu
A performance of the Kiryu Yagibushi by local residents of Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture.
It’s so cohesive and musically impressive that it’s hard to believe it’s being performed by ordinary people.
Folk songs are the soul music that lives in the hearts of Japanese people, so perhaps that’s why they’re easy for anyone to perform.
Sado OkesaMurata Bunzō
Sado Okesa is one of the Okesa folk songs handed down in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture (the former Province of Sado), and today it is known nationwide as a representative folk song of Sado.
In 1926 (Taisho 15), Murata Bunzo released a record of Sado Okesa and held concerts not only throughout Japan but also in South Sakhalin, Manchukuo, Taiwan, and Korea, helping to popularize Sado Okesa.
Yagi-bushiKunikida Chuji
Yagibushi is a folk song that originated in the region centered on Ashikaga City in Tochigi Prefecture and Kiryu and Ota Cities in Gunma Prefecture.
One of its roots is said to be a song sung by the first Genta Horigome at Yagi-juku, which was located in present-day Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture.
In Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, the Kiryu Yagibushi Festival is held every August, showcasing the Yagibushi dance and the Yagibushi ondo.
“Kokiriko” Toyama Prefecture folk songHachinohe Shiritsu Nejō Chūgakkō Gasshō-bu
This is the folk song “Kokiriko,” performed by the choir of a local junior high school in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.
The first thing that astonishes you is the clear, striking presence of the voice.
That voice alone elevates the folk song to another level, turning it into something different.
It’s definitely worth listening to at least once.
Akita OndoSakurada Junko
Akita Ondo is a folk song from Akita Prefecture.
It is said to have taken shape when it was performed for Satake Yoshitaka, lord of the Kubota Domain (Akita Domain), in 1663.
There are many variations of the lyrics; well-known versions list regional specialties such as Hiyama natto and Odate magewappa, and include verses about Ono no Komachi, who was born in Dewa Province, which corresponds to present-day Yamagata and Akita Prefectures.
Kusatsu-bushi (Kusatsu folk song)Nanchi Kinryū
Kusatsu Bushi is a folk song that originated in Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Prefecture.
It is one of the songs sung during yumomi, the practice of stirring the high-temperature hot spring water with wooden paddles to cool it to a comfortable temperature.
The song with the refrain choinachoi-na is generally known as Kusatsu Bushi but is called Yumomi-uta locally, while the song with the refrain yoh-hohoi is generally known as Kusatsu Yumomi-uta but is called Kusatsu Bushi locally.